NHFA is happy to share with you this message from our friends at HFAMA:

It is said that what the new year brings to you depends a lot on what you bring to the new year (Vern McLellan). Today, we at Health Freedom Action Massachusetts are hopeful that the new year will see in new legislation that will protect complementary and alternative health care practitioners throughout the state, guaranteeing access to all of us who use their services. We’ve come a long way, but we could use your help to make this a reality.

Last year we drafted a bill – H3660/S665, The Massachusetts Consumer Access and Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Act – and actively educated legislators on Beacon Hill about the benefits it would provide to the holistic health community.

On November 19, our work culminated in a public hearing as reaction to the bill was heard by the Joint Committee on Public Health. Rep. Donald Wong introduced the bill accompanied by two MDs and a chiropractor who all underscored the need for safe harbor for unlicensed holistic health practitioners. An additional 34 individuals who had traveled from all corners of the state spoke out in support of the bill while not a single voice was raised in opposition.

In just a couple of weeks, the bill will emerge from executive session. Our hope is that it will be favorably passed out of the committee and sent to the floor for a vote. And this is where we need your help. Despite all our efforts, our team of volunteers has not been able to educate every Massachusetts lawmaker on the bill. Yet it is essential that they understand that this issue matters to their constituents. Won’t you please take a moment to let your legislators know that preserving access to complementary and alternative health care matters to you?